Opposing Sides Weigh In on Flying Fat

Picture this. You’re on a flight from New York to Los Angeles and the person sitting next to you is large. So large that he doesn’t fit in his seat and spills over into yours. For six long hours you’re squished in a seat that’s already too small with nowhere to put your arms. You arrive at LAX cramped and achy, wondering what that dull throb in your leg is.

Should the airline have required the fat guy to pony up for a second seat? It’s an age-old question that’s taken on new urgency as planes have gotten fuller and the flying experience more miserable. The consensus is that there is no consensus. While the majority of people crammed into coach seem more than happy to see the obese forking over extra money for the privilege of flying, advocacy groups say it’s unfair and discriminatory, as do scientists who believe there is a genetic predisposition to obesity.

As for the airlines, they’re all over the map on this one.

With some help from airfarewatchdog, we looked at how several airlines deal with overweight customers and found there’s no consistent policy. In fact, none of them even defines "fat" or "obese" — it’s a judgment call left to the ticket agent. Air France says that those with a "high body mass" can buy a second seat for 25 percent off and can be bumped from the flight if they refuse. American doesn’t have a hard and fast rule, but passengers who weigh more than 250 pounds are told there "may be limitations to the service the airline can provide." Several carriers, including Midwest and Southwest, require their larger passengers to purchase a second seat but will refund the extra fare if there are empty seats on the flight.

There’s no truth to the rumors that JetBlue considered a per-pound or "pay what you weigh" pricing scheme, but the airline does require obese passengers to buy a second seat, no refund given even if the plane ends up flying practically empty. The always-progressive United Airlines has no policy at all, and rather than articulating a policy, Delta Airlines speaks vaguely about not wanting to discriminate against any of its passengers.

There’s an argument to be made for requiring overweight passengers to buy a second seat. A customer who doesn’t fit in the seat poses a potential safety risk and can inconvenience other passengers, if not cause outright discomfort for them. In one dramatic case, a 63-year old woman was literally squeezed for 11 hours by an obese passenger sitting next to her. She suffered a blood clot in her chest, torn leg muscles and acute sciatica. Virgin Atlantic ended up paying her $20,000 for it.

Peggy Howell of The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance told Wired.com that what irks her organization most is lack of a consistent policy. "Southwest leaves it up to the discretion of their employees to decide who needs to pay for a second seat, without any particular guidelines as to weight or girth," she said. "It’s arbitrary and unjust."

Adding fuel to the fire, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that although there is a behavioral element to obesity, genetics plays a role. Another study hypothesizes that a mutation in two specific molecules can cause the body to produce more fat cells. Of course, there are plenty of other studies that contradict this research, but the possibility that people cannot entirely control obesity should be considered before people righteously demand that passengers pay what they weigh.

Some judges are coming around to this point of view. In Europe, an overweight passenger won damages from Air France after a crew member wrapped him in packing tape to prove that he was too fat for a single seat. In another case, a woman won a lawsuit against Southwest when the airline forced her to buy a second seat, but not until after she had boarded the plane (a 737 that would make Kate Moss feel cramped). In Canada, a law has been passed barring Canadian airlines from discriminating against clinically obese customers.

If there is even the slightest shred of evidence indicating that obesity is genetically determined, forcing fat passengers to pay more is blatant discrimination. As far as I know, passengers with hip problems aren’t charged to catch a ride down the jetway in a wheelchair. A customer with a big cast on his leg doesn’t pay extra for inconveniencing the seat mate has to climb over him every time he needs to use the bathroom. And until the airlines’ recent ancillary revenue cash-grab, tall customers weren’t being charged extra to stretch their legs in an exit row seat.

Until we know without a doubt that every single case of obesity is a behavioral problem, we shouldn’t be punishing fat people for wanting to fly. If people are so worried about someone fat sitting next to them, maybe they should be the ones to buy an extra seat.

And before you ask, I’m 5’9" and weigh 160 pounds. I’m not fat. I’m just nice.